Dreamgirls (2006)

 EXCELLENT
Excellent Blu Ray disc. The movie itself is outstanding!!! If you have a Blu Ray player, this movie is worth adding to your collection. April 21, 2008

 What about Anika Rose?
Anika had the feistiest character. I thought she was witty and interesting. I enjoyed this movie. I love music, especially that the 60s and 70s R&B flavor. Some say they thought there was too much singing. Well, it was based on a musical. This was a Moviecal, and much singing should have been expected, considering most of the actors/actresses were singers, including Jamie Foxx.

I give the movie 4 stars because of it's spirited plot, but I think there should have been more to Deena and Curtis's relationship. They seemed more like they worked together than husband and wife. And I lost respect for Deena when she stole her girlfriend's man. Well, at least the cast the right person (Beyonce) into that role. She does strike one as such. She's okay but her role could have had more fire. I well know that Beyonce could have pulled off a more interesting character than the low-keyed one they put her into. That's why I feel there should have been more substance to her relationship with Curtis (Jamie Foxx). When they finally broke up, she did nothing except packed her suitcase. Married people who are breaking up don't just do that. And they don't make up a song, nine to ten. No fanfare (other than the song "Listen") to their breaking up. Good Movie. I recommend owning this one. April 15, 2008

 Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy and Lots of Splash Make for A Memorable Entertainment
DREAMGIRLS opened on Broadway in 1981 and was in the running for a film version long, long before it closed in 1985. Very loosely based on the lives and career of The Supremes, it told the story of a black girl group whose cross-over from "race records" to the pop charts fuel the success of an increasingly cut-throat recording mogul--and find the price of fame and fortune in the recording industry too high for their liking.
While it borrows a great deal from numerous music personalities and stories of the 1960s and 1970s, DREAMGIRLS is essentially a riff on the career of The Supremes and the group's relationship with Motown founder Berry Gordy.

The Supremes were originally created by Florence Ballard, a powerhouse vocalist who worked with Diana Ross and Mary Wilson as back up singers. Berry sought a group that could cross over into the pop charts and reformulated the line-up, moving the prettier Diana Ross to lead--and ultimately dismissing Ballard from the group entirely, replacing her with Cindy Birdsong. After the music industry turned its back on Ballard, she declined in alcoholism and poverty and died at age 32. She is widely regarded as one of the great tragic figures on the long list of American rock and roll casualties.

When DREAMGIRLS opened on Broadway in 1981 critics praised its powerhouse performances and its dazzling staging--but were somewhat less favorable toward its script and score, noting that the characters were one-note and with one or two exceptions that the score was neither memorable nor able to capture the sharply crafted pop hooks of the Motown style it tried to mimic. Even so, the play ran five years, and over the years numerous studios, producers, directors, and stars have took a crack at bringing it to the screen--something that didn't happen until 2006. And once more critics praised its powerhouse performances and dazzling staging--and were considerably less enthusiastic about its script and score.

The great flaw in DREAMGIRLS is that, while it centers on the story of Florence Ballard, neither the stage nor screen version actually has the nerve to play it out: it, the rivalry between Ballard and Ross, and the brutalities of the music business are actually somewhat underplayed in an effort to place every character in a softer light. As for the music, the score does include the stunning "I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," but the original criticism stands: although pleasant enough, the songs are not particularly memorable and they do indeed lack the sharp, slick edges of the Motown sound that inspired them.

Like many another period film, the look is not really accurate: instead of accurately depicting the 1960s and 1970s it is that era as seen through a modern filter, the 1960s and 1970s as we tend to recall them rather than as they actually were. Even so, there is plenty of visual splash; the costumes, the concert stagings, and the overall art design is quite fine, and you never actually question accuracy while it unfolds before. And then there are the performances.

With the exception Jamie Foxx, who seems slightly miscast in the role of music manager and producer Curtis Taylor, DREAMGIRLS is filled with memorable performances. Although she does not imitate Diana Ross per se, Beyonce Knowles captures Ross' look and sense of style remarkably well; Danny Glover offers a memorable turn as agent Marty Madison; and overall the supporting cast is quite fine. But the big noises her are Eddie Murphy as James Early, a role based on several singers of the era but most particularly on James Brown, and Jennifer Hudson as Effy White, the role based on Florence Ballard.

Murphy's film career has been very up and down over the years, ranging from the popular 48 HOURS to the diastrous HARLEM NIGHTS, and he is at present best known for such mild comedies as DR. DOOLITTLE and NORBIT. He typically plays himself--but DREAMGIRLS puts him on the acting map in a serious way. Not only does he does he offer an extraordinary bit of work as the flamboyant but self-destructive R&B singer, he tears strips off his musical numbers. Prior to her appearance in DREAMGIRLS, Jennifer Hudson was best know as an also-ran on television's American Idol, which entirely failed to anticipate the depths of her vocal talents and acting skill. DREAMGIRLS, however, exploited what television missed--and while it is technically a supporting role, Hudson's Effie White is the glue that holds the whole thing together. It is easily the most remarkable screen debut since Barbra Striesand's 1968 FUNNY GIRL.

DREAMGIRLS is not a "perfect" film, much less a "great" musical. As previously noted, the script is a bit weak and the music slightly below expectations, and when all is said and done it's a bit too glossy for its own good. But it is easy on the eyes, the cast is solid, and you'll never be less than amazed by Murphy and Hudson. The one-disk DVD offers extended scenes but little else; if you are a hardcore fan you'll no doubt want to go with the double disk special edition. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer April 13, 2008

 Eh...it was ok...
I was rather disappointed upon watching this movie.

I merely gave it 3 stars for the singing, which was wonderful! Beyonce and Jennifer were spectacular. However, I don't think that the movie lived up to all of the hype that was made over it. Through the movie I tried to get into it, but I just never could... the movie just seemed to be very boring. March 20, 2008

 Ouch
So I decided since eveything was in such a hype of dreamgirls I would watch it.
Bad idea. Has anyone ever seen movies like Cabaret or hell even Sound of Music?
That is how you do a musical, not some horrible cheesefest of actors. I don't know about anyone else, but I am really tired of Jamie Foxx and his horrible attitude towards almost anything. By the time this movie started to get an interesting plot it was almost over, and the music wasn't even that catchy at all.
It was annoying after awhile, actually. I enjoyed this movie when they weren't singing, but it was just painful when they were.
Also it was extremely perdictable. I knew what was going to happen before it did, which makes it boring to watch.
The only reason it is getting any stars at all is because of Eddie Murphy and when they weren't singing. March 15, 2008

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